The final day of the Art of Jazz, Global Jazz Village - Italian Style, started off a little late. A combination of bad weather, a little rain and a cold front rolling through town caused a minor delay. Spirits were not dampened, a large gathering of people were in and around the Trinity stage checking out the Cuban element, Anacaona Cuban Big Band an all female orchestra, formed in Havana in the thirties and known as "Las Mulatissimas del Sabor", this glamorous all female orchestra was founded i

The early what, gets the what? The riddle is simply to make a point. The early Parker (Charlie Parker as in the BIRD) gets the Frank Sinatra (as in CHAIRman of the Board). From the first downbeat, 8:30pm on Monday June 1st, until the final notes went silent, Cafe290 was standing room only. Why? The crowd came to hear Big Band Jazz? What are you kidding? No joke. This is not your Grandfather's music. No bubble m

A full day of jazz at the Distillery Historic District beginning bright and early at 12 p.m. The jazz starts with a workshop by Roberta Gambarini, by all accounts a tremendous educational workshop, carried out by Ms. Gambarini with pianist Don Thompson and bassist Neil Swainson in support. A trio performance at an outdoor patio in front of the Boiler House Restaurant, the Women In Jazz stage tucked away under a tent found the Dave Restivo Trio with Alyssa Falk, also a noon time start. The Fermen

The fourth annual Art of Jazz celebration just managed to melodically squeak by this time around. The Toronto Italian community and major sponsor Mario Romano are deserving of thanks for keeping the celebration alive. The free out door shows all had good turn outs in spite of some cooler temperatures rolling in from the north on Sunday. The first show of the celebration took place from 6:30 8:00 pm, Friday June 5th at the outdoor Trinity Stage and featured The Sicilian Jazz Project, this was a h

The Railhead located inside the Boulder Station Casino was the scene of a sold-out soul drenched spectacle when the Sax for Stax tour paid a visit to Las Vegas. The magnificent show featured the pairing of two of contemporary jazzâ€™s elite saxophone players, Gerald Albright and Kirk Whalum. These two titans, who have always endeavored to play with abundant heartfelt soul while making solid connections with peopleâ€™s hearts, provided the ideal tribute for Stax Records, the label whic

On Sunday, May 17th, piano maestro Marcus Roberts performed at the The Dakota Jazz Club. Located in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, the Dakota is one the best clubs in the Twin Cities to visit for live jazz. Showcasing the talents of nationally renowned jazz pianist, Marcus Roberts, is just one example to their commitment to the culture and jazz community. Roberts opened the set with a Jelly Roll Morton tune entitled "New Orleans Blues " which he played in double octaves up and down the pi

On Tuesday, May 12th, Delfeayo Marsalis appeared with his quintet at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The quintet included: Delfeayo Marsalis (trombone), Richard Johnson (piano), Marion Felder (drummer), Dean Hewlett (bass), and Mark Gross (saxophone). Marsalis who has a unique improvisational style says that when he is performing in Japan or in South America people often come up and ask... "Why do you not have any words to your music?" He said that he actually had to stop and

In a strange way, violinist/composer/singer/songwriter Jenny Scheinman is something of a throwback to an older American epoch. For as long as America has had borders and divisions, thereâ€™ve been people crossing/flouting them with abandon. Bing Crosby, the man that defined pop singing in the first half on the 20th century, recorded Irish ballads, Tin Pan Alley tunes, jazz, Hawaiian songs, and more. The following iconic performers recorded a healthy (or dazzling) variety of styles/genres: Louis Ar

Although Iâ€™ve long listened to his music, Iâ€™ve never seen Malian guitarist Habib Koite and his band Bamada perform in person. So his performance at UC Berkeleyâ€™s Zellerbach Hall this evening promises to be a real treat. Habib and Bamada take the stage attired in Malian shirts and pants - ones dyed using plangi and other resist techniques -and they don woolen hats. Habibâ€™s own guitar, his second guitarist, electric bassist, and American trap-set drummer might all be seen as conc

Residing as I do in San Francisco, Iâ€™ve long had connected the surname "Redman" with jazz. Joshuaâ€™s late father, Dewey, was a well known jazz musician, and I was aware from him through his dates with Ornette Coleman, his membership in the band Old and New Dreams, and his occasional gigs here. Deweyâ€™s star has been eclipsed by his son, Joshua, who is something of an unintentional jazz star. Born in 1969, Joshua Redman was raised as Joshua Shedroff in Berkeley, California by his mother,

The Dylan Tree is a band of seasoned pros who only play songs written by folk/blues/roots icon Bob Dylan, and do them to perfection. The band includes guitarists Richard Kahl (Champagne Boys) and Paul Martin (Blushing Brides), bassist Matt Greenberg (The Jitters), drummer Doug Inglis (ex-Ronnie Hawkins; Goddo), and keyboard player Martin Alex Aucoin (The Lin

For some reason, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra always fill me with a profound ambivalence. What they do is always excellent. It is what they leave out that troubles me. So it was March 16th when they appeared at Washington DC's Kennedy Center as part of the Washington Performing Arts Society's 2008/2009 Season. The concert began, curiously, with arrangements of two nursery rhymes, "Old McDonald Had A Farm" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider." Apparently these were dedicated to

On national tour, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis appeared at Minnesota Orchestra Hall Friday, March 6, 2009 and presented a dynamic show featuring the music of jazz pianist, Thelonious Monk. Monk was one of the most brilliant jazz musicians of all time who was known for his highly syncopated and distinctive percussive style of playing the piano. The amazing line-up of musicians appearing in the big band included: Grammy Award winning Wynton Marsalis (trumpet), Freddie H

On March 21st, 2009, Lee Konitz was improvising at Creole Restaurant, Third Avenue at 116th Street in Harlemâ€™s Barrio. Mickey Bass introâ€™ed the Quartet, as part of his Brownstone Entertainment Complexâ€™s "Jazz Legacy Series," beginning with a joke not worth repeating. Mr. Konitz responded by telling one of his own about a guy at a bar who ordered three scotches...I wish he had announced his first tune instead. Musicians take note: Before we heard the first note he blew gently into the mou

Ever since its opening in 2001, The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland, College Park, has developed a unique program that, in their words, "fully integrates the University's academic performing arts departments into its programming. This commitment to creative collaboration, uncommon among university presenters . . ." includes programs for the departments of music, theater, and dance, bringing in performers for workshops and seminars, as well as for their performa

Somewhere There, a comfortable performing arts studio in the west end of Toronto, an area known as Parkdale. A forty seat room, located up a steep flight of stairs, no windows in the studio, no extraâ€™s of any kind, the bare necessities. Just enough to get the music out and sometimes recorded. Improvised music. Jazz comes to mind when improvised music is mentioned but you may be hard pressed to find recognizable jazz in these confines. Itâ€™s there, somewhere there, lies the fundamentals of jazz, y

Intention, tension, extension. These three words may represent the show of Vijay Iyerâ€™s Mehndi trio and its music too. Organized and produced by Darrell Shinesâ€™ Intersection Studios, and held in teatro Nuovo Montevergini, Palermo, on February 3rd 2009, the concert programme mostly develops the compositions included in "Tragicomic", Iyerâ€™s album in trio. Voted the #1 Rising Star Jazz Artist and #1 Rising Star Composer in the Downbeat Magazine International Criticsâ€™ Poll for both 2006 and 2

Christmas came early for me a glorious performance by the duet of Tuck Andress and Patti Cathcart. A performance that was as a gift from heaven. Actually we must thank the good folks at the TD Canada Trust Toronto Jazz Festival for bringing this amazing duet to town. Originally slated for the Diesel Playhouse, the venue changed on rather short notice to the larger Bathurst Street Theatre, a less intimate venue, but with better sound quality and better sight lines. Heather Bambrick, vocalist a

Kurt Elling performed one extended set a the intimate Diesel Playhouse, a sold out show, standing room only. Thankfully the organizers of the show did their best to find chairs for everyone. Audience members also shared tables and chairs so that the concert became a warm, friendly and comfortable experience. Kurt Elling came out on stage, standing midway between his microphone and the stage left curtain, he sang to the audience, "Autumn". Impressive was his delivery, intonation, cocky phrasin